Grave Mistake
by kitkat1003
Summary: not giving away any details besides that it's sad. Maybe some OOC, but I don't know. whatever. Any way, enjoy the story and review if you want. :) Renamed from They left him, just cause.
1. Chapter 1

When Caboose heard Agent Washington say that his little Freckles was a tracking device, he swore he felt his heart stop. Nothing mattered anymore. The only friend who stuck with him was going to be taken away. Church had left with Carolina, Tucker left to be a leader, and Wash tried to kill him and the others. The Reds were always leaving, so it didn't matter. Freckles had stayed. He was always there. Now he was going to be gone.

Caboose didn't notice himself backing away from the group, but the others did.

"Caboose?" Wash asked him. Caboose kept yelling no in his head, chanting it over and over. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't true. Wash was lying.

Church, having the patience of an angry alligator, proceeded to posses Caboose, forcing him to watch as he gave his own friend away with his own hands. Church turned him away and turned off his audio, but Caboose turned it back on and turned around. He flinched when he heard and saw the snap of the chip breaking in half, then being crunched to pieces and scattered into the wind. Church went back to Carolina, no remorse shown in his hologram. Wash, however, looked very guilty. "Caboose, I'm sor- ," Caboose cut him off with five words that hung in the air.

"I hate all of you," He stated simply, his voice strained with so much hurt and betrayal. They all took a step back, surprised and confused, maybe a little hurt. Caboose took off his helmet, the one that Wash had made for him as a sign of friendship, and smashed it to the ground. The two teams gasped at the broken helmet and the dripping tears coming down the cheeks of the blonde haired man before them. "You took him away, made ME give him away. Gave me no time to grieve," Caboose continued, glaring at Church, who stepped back in surprise. Deep down, Caboose hated himself for doing it, but he was too angry to care. "He was the only one who hadn't left, and you took him away from me," he finished

Donut was sobbing from inside his helmet. Grif and Simmons stood next to each other, shifting from side to side on their feet. Sarge stood straight up, gripping his shotgun tightly with shaking hands that were almost unnoticeable. Wash looked about ready to shoot himself, Tucker couldn't look at Caboose, and Carolina and Church stood right next to each other, looking at Caboose with sympathy and guilt. Doctor Grey and Lopez were watching from the sidelines, though Lopez had to feel moved by how much Caboose cared about a machine. It was nice to know someone did.

"You may not have any blood on your hands, but the remains of my heart are spread across your fingers," Caboose turned around and began to walk away. "Goodbye," Came his voice, but it was different. It was cold and angry instead of the cheerful tone they were used to hearing, or the confused one anyway. He kept on walking not looking back at the people he had called his friends. They stared after him even after his blue armor disappeared.

Wash kept kicking himself mentally while letting silent tears roll down his cheeks. Thank god for the helmet. He had basically taken Caboose's dog and crushed it to death in front of him! Of course he would be angry! As he watched Caboose's figure fade away, he screamed in frustration and threw his gun on the ground. No one looked at him, but they felt his pain.

Tucker could feel the hot tears prickling his eyes. What the Hell?! Why would Church and Wash even do that to Caboose?! Now he was gone! Sure, Caboose wasn't the brightest or best soldier, but he was kind, and made war a little less depressing. He left. They made him leave! When Caboose went out of view, Tucker let the tears roll down his cheeks.

The Reds looked at Caboose sadly as he walked away. They didn't blame him. Though they hadn't known the Blue very well, they knew he was like a more innocent version of Donut, and seeing him cry hurt a lot. So they huddled together, even Sarge, the gruff old man trying to be nice to his soldiers, and cried silently, even if Donut's sobs gave them away.

Caboose was mad. Furious in fact. He heard the others call after him when he walked away, but he didn't listen. He was too hurt to care what they wanted at that particular moment. He was alone. Everyone had left him. They took Freckles away, so he walked. He just kept walking, past the horizon, to a new life.

Church watched as his "number one follower" walked away from him, just like last time, but this time he wasn't coming back. Thinking back on it, he was a total jerk to Caboose, possessing him like that. He called after him, but the soldier didn't even look back. Seeing him walk away hurt. His sadness washed over Carolina, causing tears to form in her eyes, though she held them back. However, there was one drop that spilled the cup, and the tears rushed down her face. It wasn't Caboose yelling, or his cold voice, or him leaving. It was his eyes. They were hollow and broken. The glowing blue orbs full of innocence had disappeared. And it hurt like nothing else.


	2. Chapter 2

Decided to continue because of one sweet reviewer names ShadowUtopia. Thanks by the way!

Roosterteeth owns Red vs Blue. Duh.

Caboose's legs were getting tired as the sun was beginning its' decent. He wasn't surprised though. After walking for hours, it was only fair to be worn out. It had taken the first hour for the anger to fade, and another for guilt to settle in. He had said horrible things to his friends, hurt them, and left. Still, he kept walking. They probably already left to go after Locus and Felix. He wasn't that important anyway, screwing things up all the time. He sighed, reaching his destination, a cave sheltered from the sun, and slept inside.

Church hated how quiet it was, silent like when he was in his containment unit in storage. His mind kept wandering to Caboose, though he tried to think about anything else. How he hurt him, killed "Freckles" or whatever the Hell the thing in the chip was.

"What was in that chip anyway, some stupid thing like Sheila?"He asked them, cutting through the silence. They were all huddling around a fire, crackles filling the small cave they resided in with sound. Wash, having barely shown any signs of life, looked up at the hologram.

"It was the thing he used to replace you when you left, though he'll never admit it," Tucker answered, voice bitter and cold. Church took a step back in surprise, and Carolina looked up in confusion.

"It was a mantis class military assault droid. Caboose found it and fixed it up, then named it Freckles," Wash continued on from Tucker's statement, and as he spoke on, you could hear the small, sad smile in his voice. "Gave us one Hell of a time. Blew up a car, forced us to make Caboose leader and Simmons be a blue, not to mention trying to kill me, but it made Caboose so happy. He made a little hat, a sombrero, for it to wear. Thought it made him look cute," Wash dropped his head down, visor facing the ground. "And we killed him," He finished softly. The room was filled with silence once more, something that would never happen if the person on their minds was there. "Godammit," Church whispered softly. "GODAMMIT!"

Caboose woke up in a cell, confused. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was.

"Hello Caboose," Came a chilling voice, sending shivers up the young man's spine. He knew that voice, though he wished he didn't. A man with green and gray armor walked in, shutting the door behind him softly.

"Mind if I join you?"


	3. Chapter 3

New Chapter! Review and Enjoy!

Again, Roosterteeth owns Red vs Blue. Jeez. I'm too lazy to make the episodes, much less own it.

They were fighting the pirates when they all stopped, the gunshots halting followed by silence. Again with the silence. Church hated it so much! It was never around when Caboose was here! Just another reason to get him back. The pirates teleported away, leaving a CD behind with a TV. Wash walked up hesitantly and put the CD in the video player. They all gasped as it began to play.

Caboose was chained to a wall and was sitting in the corner, eyes filled with tears and fear.

"Please stop man. Please don't hurt me," Caboose begged, curling himself into a ball as the man towered over him. Locus didn't listen, kicking the small blonde in the stomach over and over again until he was coughing up blood. Carolina was shaking in rage, along with Wash and the others, their hands clenched into fists.

"I see my tracking device isn't working anymore. I take it they killed your "Freckles"? Aren't you mad?" Locus taunted the coughing man. Caboose bolted upright and glared at him, despite the blood dribbling down his chin and the pain in his abdomen.

"Shut up! They did what they thought was right for everyone, and they are way better than you!" He yelled, earning himself a punch to the face and getting slammed into the wall.

"How touching. If you could, what would say to them?" Locus replied, smirking at the camera. Caboose smiled, head lolling to the side as Locus held him up.

"I would say that it isn't their fault, that they shouldn't come to get me. I was just being dumb old Caboose, screwing things up as usual. I forgive them for Freckles, I overreacted, and that if my life ends, well, I wasn't worth much anyway," He stated simply. Locus smiled.

"Well, it's true you are worthless," He told him before knocking him out. Looking at the camera, his smirk widened. "Come and get him Wash," He told through the screen. Tucker had had enough. With a roar of anger, he swung his sword through the television. Fresh tears pricked everyone's eyes.

"We're going to get him back," Wash stated simply. "And I'm going to torture Locus slowly," The others nodded in response. They all walked away to set up camp in complete silence. Oh, how Church wished for an end to the silence.

Carolina could see her team falling apart. The Reds and Blues, she realized, were like a Jenga tower, if you took the wrong piece out, it would break. Caboose was that wrong piece. She stood up, clearing her throat loudly to get the others attention.

"I know you are all hurt, frustrated, and angry. However, you are all dealing with this alone. As teammates," She took off her helmet, a small smile tugging at her lips. "and friends, we wear this burden together. We all care for Caboose, let's band together to save him, not let our anger get the best of us," Carolina finished her speech, giving a small look of trust to each person in front of her. Donut stood up.

"Guys?" he asked quietly. They all stared at him. The pink, no, LIGHTISH-RED soldier clenched his fists in determination. "When we kill Locus, save me a shot," They all laughed.

"Sure thing Donut!" Sarge yelled with joy. Carolina smile wider. This is just what they needed.

Tucker walked up to Kimball in private, sneaking past all the soldiers with ease. He foun her in her office, head in her hands.

"Kimball?" Tucker questioned quietly, causing her to jump.

"Tucker?" She stared, dumbfounded. Tucker didn't have the time for this.

"Look, I'm going to cut to the chase. Felix and Locus are working together to destroy Chorus and if you don't let us help you you're all dead," He stated. It took Kimball a few moments to comprehend the situation, then another few to understand the words coming out of the aqua soldier's mouth. She glared from behind her visor.

"Why should I trust you? You left," She told him bitterly. Though his helmet hid his face, she swore she saw a smile.

"I came back. And-," He paused motioning for the others to come in. "I brought some people you might want to meet,"

Kimball looked in awe at the eight soldiers, plus one doctor, before her, and gave an earsplitting grin.

"How may I be of assistance?"


	4. Chapter 4

Hey! Newest Chapter now available! BTW Sarge and Grif are not words in Microsoft Word, but everyone else's name is! Weird huh? Anyway, enjoy and review!

* * *

Some soldiers gave them angry glares as they walked by, but they didn't care. Kimball believed them, and that was enough. As she explained the situation to her soldiers, minus Felix of course, they began to welcome the two teams back into the group. Tucker was paired back with Palomo, much to his disappointment, Grif got back Bitters, and Simmons met up with Jensen. Unfortunately, Smith asked the question they all dreaded to hear.

"Where's captain Caboose?" He questioned innocently. Wash sighed and stared at him for a second before replying.

"Kid, don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to," He told him. Smith nodded before walking away. Carolina walked over to an android they had given her and looked at Church expectantly.

"Why should I go in there?" The hologram questioned angrily. She raised an eye brow at him.

"Safety in numbers, though with your gun skills, I guess we'll just have to take what we can get and put you to rescue Caboose," She replied smugly. Truthfully, all the emotions Church was feeling bombarded her, and she needed to get it to stop.

"Oh, Fuck you," Church shot back as he transferred to the robot, though she could her the happiness in his voice that he was going to get to save Caboose. Looking over himself, he realized he looked… human. Carolina smiled at his astonishment.

"It's a new type of droid that lets you specify the look. I choose what I thought was right," She told him. He had black spiky hair and a pointed face, stubble around his mouth and on his chin. His eyes were a cobalt blue, like his armor, unlike the eyes of Caboose, which sparkled like a clear sky. He wore a t-shirt the same color of his eyes and brown shorts. His skin was tan, but mostly white. He smiled, bright white teeth showing. He walked over to Tucker and put his arm around the man's neck.

"Hey Tucker! How's it feel to see my handsome face? Bet it is way cooler than yours!" He told the aqua dressed man. It took Tucker a moment to take in Church's new body. When he figured it out, he punched him in the face. "What the FUCK?!" Church yelled. Tucker smiled.

"I've been waiting to do that for forever!" He exclaimed. Church snorted.

"Whatever," he replied. Tucker walked over to Kimball and explained that were going to need the Feds to help them. Yep, this was not going to be easy.

* * *

Caboose just wanted them to stop. It hurt too much for them to continue. The people he called "them" were the Reds and the Blues, and occasionally Felix or Locus. He couldn't stand. Tucker's "game" had left his lower half in so much pain, he had to lay on his stomach. His friends never talked to him, just hurt him. Now that he thought about it, the only way they resembled his friends were the armor, color and all. Maybe they weren't his friends. He could only hope they were fakes. All of the sudden, the door opened. Caboose cowered in fear, not bothering to see who it was. A swift kick to the side turned him over, igniting a sharp pain in his backside. He yelped as he was kicked repeatedly. When the kicks finally stopped, he was covered in bruises, blood coming out from his nose and mouth, not to mention running down his legs. The arms covering his face moved apart just in time to see a cobalt-clad armored soldier walk out, slamming the cell door behind. Caboose began to cry, all hope gone, leaving only despair to keep him together.

* * *

Two weeks. That's how long it took to get the New Republic and The Federation to come to an agreement. In his opinion, Church believed it took too goddamn long. Two weeks without Caboose, two weeks with lingering silence driving him mad. The others watched him as he paced back and forth in the lounge, fists clenched.

"Church?" Tucker questioned uncertainly. Church stopped and whirled around to face him.

"It's too GODDAMN QUIET!" He screamed, causing everyone to jump in surprise. "I can't take it! The silence! I HATE IT!" Wash looked at him sympathetically as he finished, tilting his head to the side in remembrance.

"I remember not being able to sleep the one night you were in my head because you wouldn't let me, yelling about the quiet being too silent," He told the AI, who was now pacing again.

"We need to get him back," They all heard him mumble. Kimball walked in, gun strapped on her back and in full armor.

"Get ready. We attack tomorrow," She stated simply before quickly leaving, recognizing that they were in the middle of personal problem. Carolina tore her attention from the commander and looked to Church who was now standing completely still in the middle of the room.

"Hey Church," She said softly, causing the man to turn his head to her. She could see his very frame shaking with suppressed rage, frustration, guilt, and sadness. "When we go tomorrow, I will make sure you, and you alone, will save Caboose," She told him. Church gave her a small smile. "Let's get to bed," She told the others, and they all retired for the night, minds running with thoughts of the next day.

The next day they stood right outside the gates to the base they wanted to destroy so badly, the one their blue clad soldier was trapped in. The Reds and Blues stood confidently at the front of the large army. Each of them taking a deep breath, they all let out a battle cry in complete sync.

"CHARGE!"

* * *

Next chapter is a battle scene. Never done it before, so please be nice! Anyway, review please! They make my day!


	5. Chapter 5

Newest Chapter! Might take longer to make the next one cause school so I'll try my best! Enjoy!

* * *

The army ran to the gates as the Reds and Blues let out a roaring battle cry. The pirates didn't know what hit them. Fate would have it that Tucker and Felix would fight against each other, and that Wash was fighting Locus. Felix threw the first punch, dodged by Tucker, who hit him in the stomach. It went like this for a while, punches and kicks thrown, each person getting the same amount of hits in. So focused in the fight, Tucker didn't see the knife, but felt it as it dug through his shoulder. He yelled in agony and backed away, falling onto the ground.

"What's the matter Lavernius, a little pain and you're down? I don't know what I expected from you. I once fought off a bunch of armed men with my bare hands, not to mention a bullet in a shoulder and a leg," Felix taunted the fallen man, expecting him to stay down and wait for the backup that would never come in time. He wasn't expecting a sword through his chest and a helmet-less man to glare at him before smiling.

"I went through labor, bitch," And with that, Felix fell.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wash and Locus were having a similar battle, both in an epic stalemate. For a moment, it looked like Locus had the upper hand, but then a gun was pointed directly under the crazy mans chin.

"This is for Caboose," Wash growled out, before firing a round in to Locus's helmet. Donut walked up and shot Locus too. Two mercenaries lay on the ground, dead. Wash and Tucker smiled.

* * *

Church snuck through the base, silent, the buzz of gunshots and people yelling behind him. The prison cells were just up ahead, and though he'd never admit it, Church was nervous. What would Caboose be like? Would he be different? What did they do to him? The questions ran through his head, though ceased as he stopped in front of the prison bay. He took a deep breath, though he didn't need to, and opened the doors.

The sight was revolting. Stone floors, chained people, corpses, stuck to the wall for eternity. Blood splattered everywhere, some fresh. It was hot and humid, and if he was human, he would be sweating. He walked past each cell, each person worse off than the others, most skeletons left to waste away. Church was glad he didn't have a real nose, or he'd probably be throwing up because of the stench. At the end of large hall was a metal door, blocking the light from coming into the room behind it, unlike the other cells, that had bar doors. Using his gun to shoot off the lock (though it took a few tries), Church opened the door, and gasped.

There was Caboose, laying on the floor, covered in bruises, cuts, and blood, curled up in a ball, trembling at his presence. Church swore to himself that if he had a heart, it would be breaking right then. He slowly walked up to the quaking man.

"Caboose?" He said, hoping to make the private, or captain, happy at the sound of his voice. Caboose looked at him for a moment before curling up into a ball again. Church saw something in his eyes. Was that fear? "Hey buddy, I'm going to get you out of here," he told him. He began to pick him up, but heard the man whimper. "Caboose, I'm not going to hurt you," Noticing how hard his arms were, he ran around the base and somehow managed to find two pillows. He placed them under Caboose and picked him up, though the fearful look in the blonde's eyes scared him. Where they even more shattered than before? For a moment, there was hope in those sky blue eyes, but then became dull and scared again. They closed, and soft snores were heard. Church smiled. Caboose looked so much younger when he was sleeping. Sighing, he walked out of the room, and the gunshots that rang in his ears started up again, before stopping completely.

* * *

They had won. They two different armies united cried with joy as the fighting ceased, with them as the victors. Simmons ran out with the tapes from the base, hoping they could see who the one funding this was, and began to rejoice when the area went completely silent. The Reds and Blues gasped at the sight of Caboose in Church's arms, bruised and bleeding. They all walked over to him, along with Smith, and just stared at their friend. They heard the snoring stop and watched as Caboose woke up. He looked at all of them for a second, blinking away sleep, and yelped at the sight of them. He jumped out of Church's arms, grabbed the pistol Church had in his holster, and ran.

* * *

Caboose was laying in his cell when the door opened with a bang. He hid his face and began to tremble. Not again! He didn't want to be hurt again! He heard his voice being called. It sounded like Church! He looked for a second and hid again. It was Church! He felt arms picking him up, promises of no pain. Lies. Pillows? He was so tired. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to rest for only a moment. When he awoke, all of his so-called friends were surrounding him! They were going to hurt him again! He yelped and grabbed the pistol he saw that Church had. He ran, legs struggling to hold him up after two weeks of little use. He finally had to stop and leaned on a tree, still shaking. He heard footsteps. The Reds and Blues surrounded him again! He raised his pistol up at them, hands trembling. Church raised his hands up. "Caboose, it's okay. We're not going to hurt you," He told him.

"Lies," Caboose whispered fiercely in reply. His voice was raspy from being unused for so long. He looked at Smith, who stood with them, the ones who hurt him, and stared in confusion. "You… No…Hurt. Why…With… Them?" He rasped.

"Captain Caboose, they came to rescue you!" Smith told him. Caboose was confused. Why would they rescue him if they knew where he was and was hurting him?

"No… They… Not… Nice. Only Hurt!" Caboose yelled. He swung the pistol around in desperation, trying to stop the people who were slowly walking towards him to back away. All of the sudden, he felt blood pouring out of his mouth. Unconsciousness pulled him away, and he dropped the pistol before he began his slow descent to the ground. Pillows from before caught him, and he could faintly hear his name being called as his eyes slid closed.

* * *

Church watched as Caboose said that they had hurt him. That wasn't true! When the blood began to pour from his mouth, his eyes widened, and he ran to catch the falling man. Thank god he still had the pillows from earlier.

"Caboose!" He yelled as he saw the blue eyes close. He wrapped Caboose close to him and ran to get medical help

* * *

The armies watched as Church ran for medical attention, completely silent. They should be rejoicing the fact the war was over, that they wouldn't have to fight anymore. Watching the bruised man blur past them made their celebrations stop. They had won, so why did they feel like they lost?


	6. Chapter 6

HEY! Sorry this took so long. School is soooooooo hard! Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and check out my other two Caboose stories. Read and Review too! THANKS!

* * *

Dr. Grey hooked Caboose up to machines and an IV, her usually cheery mood solemn. The cuts were all cleaned and wrapped up in white gauze, making Caboose look like a mummy since he had so many of them. His ribs were broken, one piece cutting into his lungs as he ran, causing the blood to pour out of his mouth. For a skilled medical professional such as herself, had no trouble with the surgery, but she still didn't feel satisfied with her work. What was the point of being extremely intelligent if you couldn't save your friend from torture? She sighed, sitting down on a chair to the side of her "patient", and waited.

* * *

Church was near hysteria, the memories of the AI fragments unable to calm him down. Only when he heard that Caboose was going to be fine did he allow himself a little relief. He walked into the room that Caboose was staying in and listened as his injuries were listed. His heart sunk when he heard what happened to Caboose's "lower regions". He shivered at the word. He looked at the bandages covering his friend's body; he began to cry, though they were robotic tears, and went to his room. Wash knocked on his door before walking in. He didn't say anything, just waited.

"It's all my fault Wash! I made Caboose leave! He would be fine if it weren't for me!" Church yelled. Wash sighed.

"How do you think I feel?" He said. Church stared at him for a moment. "Again, I hurt the people I cared about by following orders. The first time all my friends died. The second Caboose got beat to shit. The universe just loves to curse me," He gave a bitter laugh before finishing. "What matters is that we're there for Caboose, so we can fix our mistakes." Church pondered this for a moment, before smiling and nodding. He got up and began to walk to where Caboose was resting, and motioned for Wash to follow. When they got there, their hearts practically stopped. Caboose was awake, and was staring at them in fear.

* * *

Caboose woke up with a start, having dreamed of his torture. He looked around the room, staring at the white walls and the machines that surrounded him. His wounds were bandaged, and all the pain he had felt earlier was gone. He saw asleep next to him, obviously waiting for him to wake up. He heard footsteps and trembled in fear as he saw the two figures come in. Wash and Church! He tried to run, but he was strapped to the bed he was in, probably for that reason. He shut his eyes and waited for the pain to come. None came.

"Caboose?" He heard Church's hesitant call. He opened his eyes. Church was offering a glass of water to him, straw nearly touching his lips. Noticing his dry throat, he gulped down the liquid. Church took it away. "Don't drink it fast," He told him. Dr. Grey was up, he noticed, as he drank the liquid much slower.

"How come you're so complacent?" She asked him. "You're usually a bit stubborn." Caboose flashed back to the words he was forced to repeat before replying.

"Obey or pain," He told her. Church stared at him in surprise, along with the other two figures in the room, though hidden beneath their visors. Thinking about it, this was the first time he saw Church without his armor. He looked nice. He saw as Church's face twisted into anger, and he cowered at the glare that was in those eyes. Noticing his fear, Church's eyes softened, and he put on a small smile. Caboose could tell it was fake. It didn't reach his eyes.

"Sorry buddy, I'm just mad at Locus for hurting you," Church assured him. Caboose was confused. Didn't they remember they remember that they hurt him? He stared at the bandages, remembering they were there.

"Why fix after hurt?" He asked. He hated that he spoke in broken sentences, but he couldn't help it. His brain was broken, HE was broken, and speaking was no different. Church flinched at the sentence and Wash finally spoke. He was so quiet, Caboose had forgotten he was there.

"What do you mean? We never hurt you. We went and brought two armies together to save you!" He cried. Caboose shook his head frantically. He quaked in fear and his voice shook as he spoke.

"N… NO! You h…hurt! Pain! Remember! Knives! Lightning! Screams!" Caboose kept screaming anything he could remember from those two weeks of torture, the two weeks that had shattered him to pieces. His ramblings became louder and louder until they stopped completely, and he fell backwards onto the pillows, a haunted look on his face. Church looked at Dr. Grey , and saw she was holding an empty needle in her hands. She sighed, and he nodded in understanding. He gave Wash a glare before walking out, another round of tears welling up in his eyes.

* * *

Tucker could see the entire planet of Chorus from a huge hill that showed the sunset over an ocean, colors of pink and red and gold shining in his eyes.

"Hey," Came Kimball's voice. She walked up to him, still in full armor, though without her gun, and sat down. He looked at her for a moment before staring back at the sunset, the alluring hues forcing him to focus intently on it.

"We never did see sunsets in Blood Gulch," He whispered to himself, though Kimball heard each word. She sighed.

"Why Caboose?" She asked him. Tucker looked at her in confusion. "I know you guys are friends, but all I hear from you is how stupid he is and how he screws everything up. Why would that merit for you to bring to armies that hate each other together and to fight off a secret organization?" Tucker stared at her for a moment before replying.

"Caboose is like a little kid," He told her. "A stupid, adult-sized kid, with the brain capacity of a seven-year old, maybe eight. However, he is also the sweetest person you'll ever meet, and war seems a little less intimidating with him around." Kimball stared at him, her face hidden beneath the visor of her helmet. "He just makes you want to protect him, because he's so innocent, and I'm scared that's gone," Tucker's voice trembled the tiniest bit, and he swallowed before continuing. "I'm scared that asshole Locus shattered the innocence I missed for two damn weeks! And if it's gone, I don't know what I'll do!" He shouted at the end, the tears he had held back pouring out of his eyes. Kimball sighed, staring at the man she tried to imagine as invincible.

"If he is shattered, then we'll be able to pick him up together, and fix what is broken," She told him. "If you need help just come to my room." Tucker smiled. This was too easy.

"Bow chika bow-wow!" He yelled. She laughed and walked away, just as the sun fell under the ocean, allowing the stars to shine bright in the night sky.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey! This story is still going! No need to "drag me to my computer" as one might say. I'm going to try to upload a chapter once every week, since school is a drag. I might skip a week because I'm busy, but I'll try to keep up with my work. I hope you enjoy the rest of my story! As always, read and review! BTW I will be putting some descriptions of what I think the RVB characters look like based on things people draw on google cause I have no creativity. Also, maybe some back story. Sorry if you don't like.

I DO NOT OWN RED VS BLUE! OMFG IF YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT YOU ARE STUPID! (like Tucker)

* * *

Caboose moaned in his sleep as nightmares ripped him away from pleasant dreams. Visions of torture and pain caused him to scream. He wanted it all to stop, to forget, like all the other things he had forgotten. He heard a man calling him. Church? A projection of the man fought away the torturers and healed all his wounds. He was navigated to dreams of happiness and youth, and allowed himself to be whisked away as Church disappeared.

* * *

Church sighed and went back to his android body, eyes snapping open. This was the third time this week. Church was getting into the habit of walking by the young man's room on the way to his own, just to check on him. It was a small price to pay, considering he was part of the reason Caboose was in the condition he was in. He collapsed on his bed, plugging his charger into the wall, and fell into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

Tucker watched from the shadows as Church walked out of Caboose's room. Church thought that nobody knew about his nightly rounds, but he did. He thought about telling the others, but Simmons was too busy cracking the codes to the videos (they were heavily encrypted), Grif and Sarge were too busy trying not to care, the soldiers were finally feeling happy enough to celebrate victory, and Carolina was feeling guilty enough as it was already. Wash was busy helping Caboose, barely talking to anyone else, so he didn't need to hear it. Tucker sighed and flopped onto his bed, dreams of naked girls dancing in his head as he fell asleep.

* * *

Wash woke up with a groan, bones snapping and popping as he stretched and got up. His gray hair glistened in the sunlight from the window in his room, and hazel eyes stared at the wall in front of him. He walked out of his room and got breakfast, picking up a few things for Caboose as he made his way to the room the resided in. He stopped, seeing Carolina in the room, holding out a muffin for Caboose to eat, who was recoiling at the sight of her. Her hair looked it hadn't been washed in days, her eyes red and puffy, her cheeks tear-stained, her expression pleading.

"No! You hurt me!" Caboose yelled out of nowhere, startling the two freelancers. Carolina looked war for a moment, before replying in perfect clarity.

"No Caboose. I said I would never hurt you, remember the promise?" She told him softly, smiling faintly in remembrance. When she had asked him to go to find Church, he asked that she not hurt him like Tex did, and she promised not to, as long as she could hit the others. He cheerfully agreed.

"Liar!" He yelled at her, eyes glared into little slits of fury. New tears welled up in her eyes as he spoke, shattering her to pieces. "You're a lying freelancer. You hurt me!" He insisted. She sighed, putting the muffin on the table beside him, and walked out of the room past Wash. Only when she was in the confines of her room did she let the tears to fall and the sobs to escape.

* * *

Simmons heard Sarge and Grif walk in as he struggled to crack the codes encrypting the videos. The two men walked up to him, and Sarge threw him out of the chair and Grif sat on it. Before he had a chance to say anything, Grif imputed a code that unlocked all the encryptions. Simmons stared at them in awe, mechanical eye whirring as it went back and forth between the two.

"Simple really. Hard looking, but easy," Grif said, flashing a cheesy grin.

"Bow chicka bow-wow!" They heard Tucker scream. They stared at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. Yep, this was going to be fun.

* * *

Everyone gathered around the screen as Simmons searched for the videos to the cell Caboose had been in. When he did, they all gasped at the beatings he was given. Simmons fast forwarded through a lot of them, but that didn't stop the screams from echoing through the room. All of the sudden, he stopped, and a scene unfolded in front of them.

_"Hi reds!" Caboose yelled cheerfully, his eyes sparkling with tears and relief. The so-called reds, who had just walked in, didn't say a word. They simply placed little white pads all over him._

Sarge knew what was going to happen before it did, and turned away.

_ The red representing Sarge pressed a button. Immediately, Caboose screamed as electricity flowed through his body. The fake Grif, wearing rubber orange armor, sat on Caboose, causing him even more pain. The fake Simmons kicked him in the face over and over until it was bruised and bloody. They then left him twitching and crying on the floor, slamming the door behind them._

The Reds and Blues looked in horror at how Caboose was beaten by their fake selves. Carolina understood now. He thought they hurt him! Simmons fast forwarded when Tucker came in. No one wanted to see that. The screams of their friend rung through their minds, haunting them. How hurt his eyes looked when they hurt him, how betrayed. Church put a hand up to his mouth as person in his armor came in a kicked Caboose over and over until the blonde was coughing up blood. Tears stained his cheeks as Caboose sobbed in pain.

_"I'm sorry," Caboose's voice crackled through the video, a fearful whisper. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sor-"_

_ Caboose was cut off by Locus walking into the room. He shook as the armored man came closer to him._

_ "You want the beatings to stop?" Locus asked. Caboose nodded his head frantically. "Repeat after me then," He said "Obey or pain."_

_ "Obey or pain," Caboose repeated, eyes vacant and broken._

_ "I am worthless," Locus continued._

_ "I am worthless ," Caboose repeated. He chanted the words over and over. Locus chuckled._

_ "Good boy," He said before walking out the door._

_Caboose kept chanting the words long after Locus left._

They all wanted to beat the living shit out of Locus, and anyone else who had dared to hurt Caboose. Unfortunately, the culprits were all dead, so all they could do was seethe in hatred and anger. Carolina smashed her fist into the wall, cracks appearing. Everyone jumped at the sound, the first sound, besides the ones from the video, that they had heard for hours. Sarge got up and left. Grif followed him.

* * *

"We're going to help Caboose," Sarge said simply. Grif stared at him in surprise.

"You actually care about a blue?" He asked in confusion. Sarge sighed

"Did I ever tell you that I had two kids, a son and a daughter?" He asked in reply. Grif shook his head. "Well, I did, and command told me they were killed by a bunch of blues," Sarge continued. "Turns out a bunch of Freelancers killed them. They were on the blue team," He gave a bitter laugh. "And the entire time I was trying to kill a bunch of innocent people out of revenge. Gave me kind of a wake up call," Sarge took off his helmet, his white hair glistening in the moonlight, since it was nighttime. You could see every wrinkle, every scar, and every emotion plastered on his face. "We reds partly caused this, and I'm going to fix it. That's why I don't fight the blues anymore," Sarge finished, walking away. Grif stared with wide, yellow eyes that clashed with Hawaiian skin as Sarge said one more sentence that he probably wasn't supposed to hear.

"And it's also why I yell at you so much, because my son was just like you."


	8. Chapter 8

Hey! New chapter up now! Thanks for all the support! BTW I do other Caboose stories so just look for them. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, read, and review!

I DO NOT OWN RED VS BLUE STOP SAYING I DO! GODDAMIT!

(p.s isn't my profile pic of Caboose so cute! )

* * *

Lost. A word that described Caboose entirely. He was so lost, so afraid, so confused. What was going on? He couldn't tell anymore. It was all a gray routine of pain and sadness, and fear. So much fear. So yes, Caboose was lost in a gray world without color; however, a bunch of soldiers were going to try their best to bring the spectrum back into the young soldier's life. And they'd be damned if anyone tried to stop them.

Church paced back and forth in his room, trying to find a way to show Caboose it wasn't them. To show they didn't hurt him. Simmons still had more videos to open, so maybe…

* * *

"Guys! You have to see this!" He heard Simmons yell. They all met in the same room as last time. Simmons pressed a button, and they all gasped. It was footage of the people who hurt Caboose taking off their helmets! They could show Caboose! They all smiled and took off their helmets, gazing at the footage with happiness and hatred, for the people on-screen had hurt their friend. Perhaps they, or their faces, could help heal him. Simmons wasted no time rolling the computer to Caboose's room. They all watched as he got up and trembled in fear at the sight of them. Then, he grabbed a sketch pad, and began to draw (A Picture reference to anyone who read it!). Church smiled, remembering the pictures Caboose would draw. He gently grabbed away the sketch pad and began to flip through the pages, the others looking over his shoulders. Their eyes widened at the detail, and even more at the images. They were pictures of the cell, him in it, of course, with his attackers. Each time his face held a different expression of hurt and fear, judging by how much he like the person when he felt betrayed. The person representing Church gave Caboose the worst expression of all. Caboose colored in the armor colors, and his eyes, but everything else was a white, black, gray, or a shade in between, causing the colors to pop out. Caboose sighed.

"What do you want?" It was barely a whisper, something not meant to be heard, but was heard anyway. Everyone looked up at Caboose, surprised about how despondent his voice sounded. Carolina replied, voice shaking as she spoke.

"We want to give you proof that it was not us who hurt you." The moment she said it, Caboose jolted upright. His eyes were wide in disbelief, and he stared, transfixed at the computer as Simmons started the video. The video showed the people who hurt him take off their helmets, but it wasn't his friends? He was so confused now. They really hadn't hurt him? Wash cleared his throat, grayish blonde hair and hazel eyes staring directly at him, gaze unwavering.

"We didn't hurt you, we would never hurt you. Remember Carolina's promise? Well, we all agree to it as well. We promise. Please Caboose, believe us," He begged.

* * *

Caboose stared at the faces around him. Sarge, with his silver-white hair, brown eyes, saddened face. Grif, yellow eyes searching through himself to find if he believed him. Tucker and Simmons, both with mahogany eyes; Simmons had one red mechanical eye, clashing with pale skin, hoping; yet scared at the same time. Donut had his boyish yet old face marred with scars from a grenade, with blue eyes that sparkled with innocence hung onto when it was already lost, saddened, hurt, and hopeful all the same. Carolina, red hair and green eyes that pleaded for forgiveness that she wasn't there to protect him, that he had to take those beatings, even though it wasn't needed, for the forgiveness was already there. Lastly, Church, a man Caboose only saw angry, exasperated, and spiteful. Yet his cobalt blue eyes were… sad? Tears were welling up in the man's eyes that Caboose had never though had really liked him, despite his own insistence that he was Church's best friend. Church was crying for him? The notion was so unbelievable, that Caboose couldn't see lies in any of the two teams' eyes. He smiled, a real smile that they hadn't seen in weeks, and his eyes sparkled with the innocence that was always there, just lost for a while. His head hurt, like when he thought too hard, but now his chest hurt. Still, he kept smiling.

"I believe you," He told them. They all grew huge grins, and were about to celebrate, but Caboose closed his eyes, and didn't open them. Church was worried.

"Caboose?" He asked. A loud beep filled the room, filling them with pure fear.

Caboose's heart stopped

* * *

Cliffhanger! You guys all hate me now I bet, but whatever. Anyway, sorry this wasn't as long as the other ones, I got a lot of schoolwork. Please check out my other stories and review! I'm going to see if I can make them all connected, and each review make me super happy! Love you guys!


	9. Chapter 9

Hey! last chapter. Enjoy, and as always, read and review!

* * *

Church couldn't see the others running out of the room. He couldn't hear them screaming for a medic. He couldn't feel them trying to pull him out away from his friend. All he could see was Caboose laying motionless on the hospital bed. All he could hear was the high-pitched beep of the heart monitor. All he could feel was this numbness filling his android body that made him realize something.

Caboose was dead.

No, that wasn't true. Caboose's heart had stopped, but it could be shocked back to life. Unfortunately, there was no defibrillator to be found, and not a doctor in sight. Wait a minute, he ran on electricity! He could save Caboose! He hacked into his android system, forcing high voltage into his hands. He rubbed them together, like he had seen in the movies, before quickly placing them on Caboose's chest. His friend's back arched up as electricity ran through his body. Church listened closely for the beep stuck in his mind to stop. It didn't. Caboose was still dead. He put almost all of his energy into his hands, pleading to whoever the hell controlled life, begging for his friend to come back, so he could see those sparkling blue eyes instead of dull vacant ones, to see that goofy grin instead of a small, sad smile. He waited, and listened. The beeping stopped. Caboose was okay. Church could barely feel Carolina gently leading him to a chair and plugging him in to the wall socket. His head leaned against the wall, and everything went black.

* * *

Carolina stared at Caboose's still frame and quickly looked towards the heart monitor, making sure he was still alive. The short beeps made her nervous, for she was afraid of another long tone, signaling death. Church was still recharging. She remembered how expressionless he looked, and then how scared he became. It was like she wasn't even there when she called to him. His eyes were transfixed on Caboose until he blacked out. Tucker hadn't left the room, but was unusually quiet as he stared back and forth between the two unconscious men. The others were trying to calm down Wash and Donut, both of whom were suffering mental breakdowns. Understandable, but quite annoying in her point of view. She didn't have the time for emotions anymore. She should-

A thought crossed through her mind, making anything else in her brain stand still. She was becoming like her father. A person who couldn't give damn about anyone else. She kept staring at the person, her teammate, no, her friend, who had started it all. Caboose seemed unnatural when he wasn't moving, wasn't smiling. It scared her to think of what could've happened if Church hadn't been there. Dr. Grey said his heart was weak from the electric torture, and all the excitement had caused it to give out. He should be fine, but should wasn't a definite answer to her. It was a false hope, a fake promise. She sighed and sat in a chair, resigning herself to wait.

* * *

Everyone else was tired after calming Wash and Donut, but no one dared to sleep. They knew where the rest of the blues were; they were with Caboose. Sarge had his head in his hands, sitting on the side of his bed. Grif watched over Donut, who was still shaken from the incident with Caboose, and Simmons watched over Wash, who wasn't talking to anyone. There was tenseness in the air, suffocating them, making words seem useless. Grif hated all of this. Just when things went their way, something screwed it up again. Why did they even do things in the first place? He sighed, and waited.

* * *

Church woke up slowly, eyes blinking away sleep. What the hell was he doing here? What was going on? He couldn't tell. Carolina seemed to be worried. About what, he didn't know. She looked like she saw a ghost-

Oh.

It all came back in a rush. Caboose's heart stopping, him freaking out and saving him, the fear, the desperation, the feeling of hopelessness as the drawling tone kept on going. He noticed he was standing up and swaying, so he put his hand against the wall to steady himself. Caboose was still knocked out, and understandably so. Carolina gave him a look of pity, but it was Tucker who spoke up. He hadn't said or done anything, so Church hadn't noticed he was there.

"You okay dude?" He asked Church softly. Church was surprised at his tone. It was gentle and kind instead of the boisterous and rude tone that he was used to hearing. He sighed.

"Yeah," He replied. Tucker snorted.

"Bullshit dude. You haven't yelled once since we got Caboose back, not to mention you flipped out earlier. Tell us what's wrong," Tucker said. Church looked at Caboose, who was still asleep, soft snores coming from his nose. He sighed again.

"It's just…Caboose is like a kid to me, not an actual soldier. I always have to look after him and protect him, because that's my job. This time, I couldn't save him, and he got hurt, bad. He couldn't understand what was going on half the time! And I wasn't there! I didn't protect him! So…I feel like this is all my fault!" By the end of his rant, Church was in tears. In an instant, Carolina and Tucker were there, comforting him in ways he hadn't known they could. He smiled after a while. "Thanks," He whispered. They just nodded. A groan was heard from the bed. They turned around quickly. Caboose was awake.

* * *

Caboose couldn't understand what was going on. He was floating in black, feeling nothing, hearing nothing, seeing nothing. He was so confused. What had happened after his heart hurt? Was he dead? The thought crossed his mind so violently, he immediately shoved it away. No, he was alive, or he'd be with his family. They were all dead, but they were watching over him from heaven. Besides, he forgot to give Church his orange juice like he promised he would give him when he died. So, he wasn't dead. He smiled. He liked being alive. Being dead sounded sad and boring. He looked around. Still darkness everywhere, he mused. A figure came. She was light, with wings and a warm smile.

"It is time for you to go," She whispered. He stared at her in disbelief. Angels were supposed to be nice! She was trying to make him leave his friends, no, his family behind! He shook his head angrily.

"NO, mean lady! I am going home!" He yelled, startling her.

"But sweetie, heaven is your home, it's where your family is," She said gently. He stared straight at her, and she flinched. The innocence and pain that filled his blue orbs was too much, even for her.

"What about my other family?" He asked fearfully. She stared at him confused. "The reds and blues are waiting for me! They are my family! I can't leave them!" He begged. She stared at him for a moment before smiling again. This type of innocence, trust, and loyalty came only once a century. She looked at him. Maybe she could give him another chance. He deserved it; after all he'd been through.

"To Hell and back," She muttered. "Fine, I will take you home," She told him. His face brightened, and he tackled her in a hug.

"Thank you Angel woman! You are not mean like I thought you were! You are nice and pretty!" He shouted. She blushed. He was sincere, and that meant a lot. He had this biggest grin on his face, and it made the decision so much sweeter. "Will I see you again when I die again?" He asked.

"Maybe, I don't know. Goodbye Caboose!" She replied cheerfully. As the man faded away, she sighed. His friends didn't know what they had. They didn't see the light he held, illuminating the dark path they walked. He'd had three AIs in his head, gone through two wars, helped stop two evil organizations along the way, been tortured for nearly a month, and still remained cheerful the entire time. The only time he actually hurt people on purpose was when he was angry, and that was just a remnant of O'Malley. He was a miracle, a gift, yet a curse. Innocence is wonderful, but ignorant. After all, ignorance is bliss. He made up in smarts for his light that filled everyone he loved with happiness.

* * *

Despite what others thought, God never made miracles, he made man. Man created his own miracles. Caboose was a miracle by man, and that made him greater than anyone else on earth. He never bragged about it, partly because he really didn't understand, but that's what made him wonderful. He was humble and loving, dumb yet caring, and most of all, innocent. And that's what made him a miracle.

* * *

Caboose groaned as he awoke. He still didn't know what had happened to him. He looked around. Church, Tucker, and Carolina were staring at him. Tucker called the others on the radio. They all ran in. None of them were wearing their armor, much to his relief. Though he knew they hadn't hurt him, the colors made him fearful. They reminded him of torture and pain. Looking at all of them, he saw their worried faces. They really were scared for him. He smiled and pulled them all in for a bone-crushing hug. There were a few pained yelps of surprise, but most were happy about Caboose's condition. They all sighed contentedly and let the hug bring them bliss.

* * *

Church could only stare at Caboose as the man blinked away sleep. He heard Tucker call the others, but he couldn't care less. His eyes were transfixed on Caboose for the second time, waiting for any sign of emotion. When the others came in, Caboose looked around. Then, he smiled. It wasn't the same smile from earlier. It was a full on, ear-to-ear grin that was just like the one from before all of… this. Now, as he was wrapped into a hug, every fight, every guilt-trip, and every moment spent waiting was worth it. All of it was worth it to see that smile, and so, he smiled back.

* * *

TWO WEEKS LATER (Epilogue):

Church watched as Wash stopped Sarge from killing them for the third time that day. They were in the same canyon they had crash landed in earlier, but they spiffed up the bases to make them more like houses. Caboose's room was in between Wash's and his own, so when he had a nightmare, they were there in a flash. The nightmares were getting less frequent, which made him happy, knowing that Caboose was healing. Still, when he thought of what happened to him, his artificial blood boiled with rage. He smirked as Wash pulled out his trump card, successfully getting Sarge to go back to his base. They all were a little more sympathetic to the war ridden man, especially after what happened to Caboose. Wash would always threaten to get Caboose out when nothing else worked, effectively stopping all hostility each time. Sarge had a soft spot for Caboose, and they all knew that. He heard a tank fire, and all of a sudden, he was in ghost form. He looked at Caboose's running figure.

"Tucker did it!" He yelled. Church laughed. He wasn't fighting, but he wasn't doing nothing either. He was with all the people he loved, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Ending! I hope you enjoyed this fanfic. I'm sorry if the ending was not to your liking, but that's the way I put it, so deal with it. Anyway, I have other stories to check out, so read those! Thanks for reading and I love you all! ~Kitkat1003


End file.
